moistened her lips with her tongue. “It was very cowardly of me to reject the idea or pursuing him to that house of ill repute. It was just that I’m not accustomed to thinking in quite those terms and—”
“Wait just a minute.” Patrick held up his hand. “I don’t like the direction this conversation is taking. Why are we suddenly talking about Rina’s place?”
“Is that its name? We’re talking about it because I’ve decided I have to go there. I think once your uncle realizes I’m prepared to go to those extremes, he’ll treat my request with more respect.”
“You want to go to Rina’s?” He was staring at her, dumbfounded. It was one thing to toy with the amusing image of Elspeth at Rina’s, but the reality was something else again. “No!” he said positively. “A lady does not go to wh—to a place like that under any circumstances.”
“I know that. I’m hardly an ignorant ninny. But there are times when propriety must be put aside, and this is one of them. Your uncle Dominic must be made aware I’m an antagonist worth his mettle.”
“Not this way. Think of something else.”
“You needn’t feel concerned. I wouldn’t think of involving you in the matter.” Her brow knitted in a thoughtful frown. “I decided it would be more practical to go see him quite early this morning. It seemed to me that the establishment would be least populated then. Isn’t that true?”
“Yes,” Patrick said weakly.
“I thought so.” Her expression brightened. “My problem is that I don’t know where this place is located. If I’d asked anyone else, it could have been misunderstood. So I thought you might be kind enough to give me directions.”
Patrick shook his head in amazement at Elspeth. Too nervous to ask directions, but planning on walking into Rina’s place in search of Dominic. The woman before him aroused both his amusement and his protective instincts. “I don’t think you’ve thought this through. There’s every possibility your reputation could be damaged beyond repair. Your presence at Rina’s might definitely be … misunderstood.”
“Why should that bother me? I’m a scholar and an explorer and I couldn’t care less what people say about me.” Elspeth added simply, “not when gossip is balanced against Kantalan. Nothing is more important than Kantalan. Now, will you please tell me where to find this Rina’s place?”
He stared at her helplessly. There was implacable resolution in her expression. Christ, she was going to do it. “I can’t talk you out of this, can I?”
She shook her head. “I thought about it a long time last night. It wasn’t an easy decision. I’m not really very courageous, Patrick.”
“You could have fooled me. Have you thought how you’re going to find Dominic once you’re inside the house? He told you he wouldn’t see you.”
“No.” She frowned. “I guess I’ll just have to go looking for him.”
The thought of Elspeth searching diligently through the rooms occupied by Rina’s girls and theircustomers brought a fleeting grin to Patrick’s face. “That’s not very practical, Elspeth. We’ll have to think of something else.”
“We?” She shook her head. “I won’t ask you to help. I have to learn to take care of these matters myself.” Her expression became distressed. “I hope you don’t think I was hinting you go with me?”
He knew very well the little owl was incapable of such machinations. “I didn’t think that.” He decided to make a final effort. “I could try to talk Dom into seeing you again.”
“It would be of no use. He seemed quite determined.”
Patrick was of the same opinion, but he couldn’t just ride off and leave her, dammit. She would get into all kinds of trouble at Rina’s before she managed to rout Dominic. And when she succeeded in doing that, she might face the biggest mountain of trouble any woman had ever faced. Dominic might go off like a fire cracker on a Chinese New
“Wait just a minute.” Patrick held up his hand. “I don’t like the direction this conversation is taking. Why are we suddenly talking about Rina’s place?”
“Is that its name? We’re talking about it because I’ve decided I have to go there. I think once your uncle realizes I’m prepared to go to those extremes, he’ll treat my request with more respect.”
“You want to go to Rina’s?” He was staring at her, dumbfounded. It was one thing to toy with the amusing image of Elspeth at Rina’s, but the reality was something else again. “No!” he said positively. “A lady does not go to wh—to a place like that under any circumstances.”
“I know that. I’m hardly an ignorant ninny. But there are times when propriety must be put aside, and this is one of them. Your uncle Dominic must be made aware I’m an antagonist worth his mettle.”
“Not this way. Think of something else.”
“You needn’t feel concerned. I wouldn’t think of involving you in the matter.” Her brow knitted in a thoughtful frown. “I decided it would be more practical to go see him quite early this morning. It seemed to me that the establishment would be least populated then. Isn’t that true?”
“Yes,” Patrick said weakly.
“I thought so.” Her expression brightened. “My problem is that I don’t know where this place is located. If I’d asked anyone else, it could have been misunderstood. So I thought you might be kind enough to give me directions.”
Patrick shook his head in amazement at Elspeth. Too nervous to ask directions, but planning on walking into Rina’s place in search of Dominic. The woman before him aroused both his amusement and his protective instincts. “I don’t think you’ve thought this through. There’s every possibility your reputation could be damaged beyond repair. Your presence at Rina’s might definitely be … misunderstood.”
“Why should that bother me? I’m a scholar and an explorer and I couldn’t care less what people say about me.” Elspeth added simply, “not when gossip is balanced against Kantalan. Nothing is more important than Kantalan. Now, will you please tell me where to find this Rina’s place?”
He stared at her helplessly. There was implacable resolution in her expression. Christ, she was going to do it. “I can’t talk you out of this, can I?”
She shook her head. “I thought about it a long time last night. It wasn’t an easy decision. I’m not really very courageous, Patrick.”
“You could have fooled me. Have you thought how you’re going to find Dominic once you’re inside the house? He told you he wouldn’t see you.”
“No.” She frowned. “I guess I’ll just have to go looking for him.”
The thought of Elspeth searching diligently through the rooms occupied by Rina’s girls and theircustomers brought a fleeting grin to Patrick’s face. “That’s not very practical, Elspeth. We’ll have to think of something else.”
“We?” She shook her head. “I won’t ask you to help. I have to learn to take care of these matters myself.” Her expression became distressed. “I hope you don’t think I was hinting you go with me?”
He knew very well the little owl was incapable of such machinations. “I didn’t think that.” He decided to make a final effort. “I could try to talk Dom into seeing you again.”
“It would be of no use. He seemed quite determined.”
Patrick was of the same opinion, but he couldn’t just ride off and leave her, dammit. She would get into all kinds of trouble at Rina’s before she managed to rout Dominic. And when she succeeded in doing that, she might face the biggest mountain of trouble any woman had ever faced. Dominic might go off like a fire cracker on a Chinese New
Similar Books
